Sanitary ice tray



Aug. 27, 1929. B. c. HOWLETT SANITARY ICE TRAY Filed Nov; '7, 1928Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.-

IBLANCHE C. HOWLETT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SANITARY ICE TRAY.

Application fi1ed November 7, 1928. Serial No. 317,761.

The object of my invention is to provide a receptacle to receive the iceblocks or cubes from the ice pan of refrigerators of the modern type. Insuch refrigerators ice is frozen in pans provided with removablepartition members furnishing compartments in which ice blocks or cubesare frozen. As the entire mass is frozen in and to the pan and partitionmembers some difliculty is experienced in the removal of the ice blocks,the general practice being to invert the tray and to pour hot water onthe bottom; in such practice the ice cubes fall down into the sink orreceptacle placed to receive the drip of the hot water, and this isobjectionable as being messy and more or less insanitary. To obviatethese difficulties I have devised the sanitary ice tray as shown in theaccompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the tray.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tray.

Figure 3 is a View in perspective of the tray.

The tray comprises a base portion 1 of an area suflicient to receive anyordinary ice pan, the edges of such base being upwardly and outwardlyturned to. form retaining walls or flanges 2. Such retaining walls mayextend from both sides and ends of the tray, though preferably theflange at one end or side is omittedor is bent only slightly upwardsthat the ice pan may be more easily placedvon the tray. The tray isprovided with legs or supports 3 to hold it well above the sink or drainboard on which it may be placed.

The tray is preferably made of woven galvanized wire mesh to provideopenings in the bottom and side walls that water from the pan mayreadilydrain away, but the tray could be made of sheet metal or of othermaterial with openings or perforations to per- 7) mit of the ready drainof the water. In practice the wire forming the base portion and endflanges of the tray is of smaller gauge than the binding wire 4 which iscarried around the edgesof the flanges and which is bent downwardly toform the supporting legs. The flanges, asstated, extend upwardly andoutwardly from the base portion and are sufficie-ntly high to retain theice pan and ice blocks on the base and are bent outwardly at an angle topermit the pan to be easily inverted on the tray and also that the iceblocks may be readily poured or removed from the tray after removalfrom. the pan.

In operation the ice pan is placed inverted on the tray and hot water ispoured on the bottom of the pan, such water heats the pan and partitionmember so that the ice blocks are freed and remain on the tray after thepan and partition member are removed. The wire forming the base and endflanges is of a thickness or gauge to give sufficient strength but isnot so thick as to appreciably carryheat from the hot water pouredaround the edges of the pan as to cause any melting of the ice blocks.The b' ding or edge wire 4 is of heavier gauge t an the mesh wire and iscar-' ried entire about the edges, being bent downwardly at the cornersto form supporting legs. This construction gives great rigidity andprovides a structure of tray of light weight with maximum strength, andalso a tray structure which is entirely sanitary and'of pleasingappearance.

- Having described my invention, I claim L A sanitary ice traycomprising a base portion of woven wire mesh bent outwardly and upwardlyat its edges to form retaining walls or flanges, and abinding wire ofheavier gauge than the wire of the base carried entire about the edge ofthe base portion and bent downwardly to form supporting legs.

1 2. A sanitary ice tray to receive ice cubes from the ice pan of arefrigerator comprising a base portion of woven wire mesh bent outwardlyand upwardly at three edges, two long edges and one short edge, 'to formretaining walls or flanges, and a binding wire of heavier gauge'than thewire of the base carried entire about the edge of the base portion andbent downwardly to form supporting le s.

in testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BLANQHE o. HdWLETr.

